Friday, September 24, 2010

Friday Morning Ramble: The ‘we’re screwed’ edition

It’s election weekend in Auckland and elsewhere, and I couldn’t be less interested. In Auckland, for example, we have a choice between a clown who talks responsibility but who can’t be trusted with his own credit card, and a buttoned-up buffoon who talks about keeping rates down after having run a record of raising rates every years, while increasing Auckland’s debt to nearly one-billion dollars. It’s not a vote either of these jerks deserve, but the reality check of a good kick up the arse. Whoever wins, it certainly won’t be ratepayers. So following Bernard Darnton’s lead, and having diligently read through the candidates' booklet, I promptly put my voting paper in the shredder.Anyway, I haven’t done a Ramble here for a few weeks, so there’s a bit of a backlog of good links and stories to tell. So let’s dive in…

Since Roger Kerr began blogging a few weeks ago, he’s unfortunately had to do a disproportionate amount of obituaries. This week, he’s had to write an obituary to mark the sudden death of author, historian and journalist Graeme Hunt. R.I.P. Graeme Hunt – ROGER KERR

Lindsay Perigo thinks the Republicans’ Pledge for America offers some real hope for that beleaguered country—and I hope it fares better than their failed Contract with America. Take the Pledge! – Lindsay Perigo, SOLO

On the occasion of another cynical visit by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to New York to be feted at the U.N., the Wall Street Journal’s Bret Stephens tries to peel back the Iranian dictator fairly elected leader’s cynical veneer to its utterly cynical core. Breakfast With Ahmadinejad – WALL STREET JOURNAL

Still on natural disasters, entrepreneurs offer a safe and inexpensive way to ride out a hurricane—demonstrating in the process a point that was so evident in comparing Christchurch’s quake to Haiti’s: “increased safety is a product of increased wealth":Buying shelters from the storm - VOICES FOR REASON

PJ O’Rourke speculates, or tries to, on the Tea Party’s foreign policy. “What is the Tea Party’s foreign policy? It’s a difficult question on two counts. There is no Tea Party foreign policy as far as I can tell, and, on inspection, there is no Tea Party.”Innocence Abroad: The Tea Party's Search for Foreign Policy – WORLD AFFAIRS

As Obama’s fortunes fall, and US liberalism’s fortunes with it, some liberals are now beginning to compete with each other at taking up the birthers’ mantel—talking any nonsense they can just to pull their ideological rip cord before their hero crumples completely. Latest example, Dinesh D’Souza:D’Souza to Obama with Malice – Shikhia Dalmia, FORBES

Here’s a lucky chap packing for his holidays. I hope he has enough room.

If you’ve ever visited here before, you may (it’s just possible) have heard me rail about how fractional reserve banking leaves the banking system inherently fragile. If you’ve wondered what the hell fractional reserve banking is all about, John McVey gives you an introduction. Fractional Reserve Banking, revisted - Part One – JOHN McVEY

While soothsayers and spinners pick out rare nuggets amid the economic gloom to spruik their positions that recovery is really and truly just around the next corner, honest Guv, David Galland states the obvious.A Long Road to Recovery – CASEY’S REPORTS

And on this side of the Tasman, shadow finance entity David Cunliffe continues to demonstrate his own complete cluelessness with every post he makes at the Labour Party blog—he blogs on corruption in govt on the very week his own party is out planting fake voters out in Papatoetoe, and somehow equates the corruption of govt with the free market. If it’s corruption he’s opposed to, he might reflect on the First Economic Rule of PJ O’Rourke: “When buying and selling is legislated, the first thing to be bought and sold are legislators.”Systemic Market Failure? – RED ALERT

Don Boudreaux points out that passing legislation to “fix the recession” isn’t anything to crow about.”Enacting legislation is neither an ‘achievement’ nor an ‘accomplishment’ that, standing alone, deserves credit. To think otherwise is akin to thinking that a rain-dancer deserves credit for performing his fancy ritual even if afterward the crops continue to wilt because the drought persists.”A Magic Show Without a Rabbit in the Hat – CAFE HAYEK

Some folk try to find the few remaining loopholes in law to try to live free … and struggle. [Hat tip Den MT]The Permission We Already Have - BLDG BLOG

Economists talks about the Trader Principle—the recognition that in every voluntary trade both parties come out ahead. Moralists talk about it too, and Rational Jenn shows how to begin teach it to your youngsters. Trader Principle Progress – RATIONAL JENN

Rugby vs AFL. Which one has more skills. Lets pit Cory Jane and Piri Weepu against Geelong’s Gary Ablett (aka Son of God) and Stevie J. [hat tip Keeping Stock]

Everyday above the ground is a good day, but not every day is a day to masturbate to Christine O’Donnell! [“It is not enough to be abstinent with other people,” says the helpful O’Donnell, “you also have to be abstinent alone. The Bible says that lust in your heart is committing adultery, so you can’t masturbate without lust.” Just thought you should know.]Masturbate to Christine O’Donnell Day! – DWINDING IN UNBELIEF

Turns out that U2 front-man Bono’s anti-poverty foundation ONE is doing remarkably well at staving off poverty … among its staff. “The non-profit organisation set up by the U2 frontman received almost £9.6m in donations in 2008 but handed out only £118,000 to good causes (1.2 per cent).” That’s about 360 degrees of blarney-filled chutzpah.Doing Well While Not Doing Good – DIVISION OF LABOUR

And if your fate is to spend all your working hours in an office cubicle in a wasteland of office cubicles, you have my sympathy. Here then is some possible respite.21 Awesome Office Cube Pranks - MOTELLA

Here’s The Laughing Clowns getting into the religious material …

… Barry Adamson getting out some Miles Davis…

… … Jazz On the Tube celebrating John Coltrane’s birthday this week (he would have been 84) with fifteen linked videos illustrating his wide range including Miles Davis...Eric Dolphy...Wes Montgomery...Stan Getz...Elvin Jones...McCoy Tyner...and a rare trio with pianist Wynton Kelly..

8 Comments:

For Aucklanders faced with Tweedle-Defect and Tweedle-Dumber, then David Wilmott of Roads First seems to be making some of the right noises in Message 1 - that rail and public transport are crippling; designer cities are stifling. (And he's not John Banks.)Colin Craig seems to be a mixed bag - at this stage I don't like referenda.Peter

I was going to bin the voting paper, but decided to vote for Simon Prast.

Family First don't like him and he is the only candidate who would not decrease the number of liquor outlets, have 'family friendly' areas, censor billboards and ban street prostitution. Also he didn't seem too business unfriendly - I guess he has had to lobby for theatre sponsorship.

Pro-Capitalist, you're right on the spot there. David Cunliffe's facial appearance & looks says it all about what's inside in his head, ie, regarding his economics knowledge. His economics knowledge is pretty ugly. I've never seen a bunch of anti-business/anti-capitalist MPs as David Cunliffe and his Labour colleagues. There is not a single word of praise from any of them being said about big businesses. These are the useless lot who never ran a business in their lifes, muzzling & pushing to regulate private businesses.

Tip Jar

In America, they tip. In NZ, we shout beer. If you like the service here at Not PC, drop a tip in the tip jar and you can do both.

Comments on this post

Friday Morning Ramble: The ‘we’re screwed’ edition
If I voted, I would vote for Jonathan, and for Michael Hansen. Jonathan because he'd do a great job; Michael because he's hilarious.
For Aucklanders faced with Tweedle-Defect and Tweedle-Dumber, then David Wilmott of Roads First seems to be making some of the right noises in Message 1 - that rail and public transport are crippling; designer cities are stifling. (And he's not John Banks.)Colin Craig seems to be a mixed bag - at this stage I don't like referenda.Peter
Please don't point us to links at Red Alert on a Friday that are quite so full of hypocrisy and lies - it's just depressing.
Some people in the Kapiti area are voting for Peaches. Peaches is a dog. Unfortunately I had already voted..

I know of someone rather close to me that drew a picture of a cat on the voting document, and said she votes for her cat.
David Cuntliffe, is obviously clueless to economics. The guy is a fucking joke. Its time that the Labour party pays for him to study economics in a tertiary institution.
That guy Peter Schiff and his online commentaries is always interesting. But our own dumbfuck like David Cuntliffe won't listen to facts frequently talked about by Peter Schiff.
I was going to bin the voting paper, but decided to vote for Simon Prast.

Family First don't like him and he is the only candidate who would not decrease the number of liquor outlets, have 'family friendly' areas, censor billboards and ban street prostitution. Also he didn't seem too business unfriendly - I guess he has had to lobby for theatre sponsorship.
Pro-Capitalist, you're right on the spot there. David Cunliffe's facial appearance & looks says it all about what's inside in his head, ie, regarding his economics knowledge. His economics knowledge is pretty ugly. I've never seen a bunch of anti-business/anti-capitalist MPs as David Cunliffe and his Labour colleagues. There is not a single word of praise from any of them being said about big businesses. These are the useless lot who never ran a business in their lifes, muzzling & pushing to regulate private businesses.